Grants and Other Funding Sources

This month I am focusing on the Top 10 Corporate Foundations and the Top 10 Private Foundations as ranked by their total giving. (I have arranged them in alphabetical order, and left off three that only allow requests in the Health programmatic area). These foundations donated over 3 BILLION DOLLARS last year to non-profit organizations. There is a lot of money out there for you to use to help improve your schools and help your children.

AT&T Foundation focuses support on education, and they encourage efforts to win student interest and involvement in mathematics, science and engineering. They also support programs that focus on the use of technology to enhance teaching and learning. The AT&T Learning Network provides funding to projects that demonstrate effective and innovative uses of technology in supporting families, schools and communities. You may submit proposals at any time.

Bank of America Foundation places special emphasis on providing educational opportunities for young children so they will be ready to learn and achieve when they begin school. However, they do not consider funding requests from K-12 schools, so you will have to partner with a non-profit organization in order to receive funds. Remember that the Bank is now all over the country, so send a grant letter to the Manager of your local BofA branch. You may submit proposals at any time.

Ford Foundation seeks to enhance educational opportunity, especially for low-income and chronically disadvantaged groups. They want you to write a brief letter of inquiry about your project before you write a full proposal. Applications are considered year-round.

Ford Motor Company Fund supports programs at the high school level that are designed to promote diversity and innovation in education, as well as to encourage careers in business, engineering, math, science and the arts. They also support some experimental programs that are designed to inspire new ways of teaching and learning. The Fund only supports programs in communities where Ford does business. Requests for support are accepted and reviewed throughout the year.

General Electric Fund has two pre-college grant programs: College Bound and Early Years. College Bound is a partnership between schools and General Electric businesses focused on doubling the rate of college attendance from low-income and inner-city schools near General Electric communities. Early Years grants are given to low-income schools near General Electric facilities to support volunteers' work with elementary schools students learning to read, and to improve math and science. If you submit a grant application to the Fund, be sure you review their Eligibility Guidelines. You may submit grants at any time.

W. K. Kellogg Foundation has several different programs to which you can apply. Programming in Youth and Education, Information Systems/Technology, Capitalizing on Diversity, and, if you are a middle school in Michigan, Middle Start. There is also ENLACE, or Engaging Latino Communities for Education. For more specific information about each one, please check the website.

The Lilly Endowment does not have a website. It was established in 1937 by members of the Lilly family as a vehicle by which to pursue their personal philanthropic interests. The address is:

Lilly Endowment, Inc.
P. O. Box 88068
Indianapolis, IN 46208
317-924-5471 Phone
317-926-4431 Fax

John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is known mostly for its $500,000 Fellows program, but has a Human and Community Development Program which schools can also fit well with. However, only organizations in Chicago and Palm Beach County, FL and the regions immediately around them can be supported. The program looks to supports evaluate, and strengthen community-improvement initiatives, especially in education, public safety, economic opportunity, and recreation. You need to go to the website for details.

Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has a program for Cost Effective Uses of Technology in Teaching , which could be used by regional groups of schools. Check the website for details. It is suggested that prospective applicants explore their ideas in writing informally with the Foundation before submitting a full proposal. Grant requests may be submitted at any time.

The David and Lucile Packard Foundation provides grants to non-profit organizations in the broad areas of Science and Children. The foundation has a special focus on the northern California counties of San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and Monterey. Proposals are accepted four times per year: March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15.

Pew Charitable Trusts is a national philanthropy, but they maintain a strong commitment to the Philadelphia, PA area. Their Education program seeks to raise the performance of students of all levels of education, especially their capabilities to learn for understanding and to acquire the literacies they need for productive employment and effective citizenship in an increasingly complex society. Their K-12 Reform program encourages the fundamental reforms in the profession of teaching and the work of schools that are needed to enable all students to perform at high levels. However, requests must come from a regional or state level.

Rockefeller Foundation has a Working Communities component that encompasses improving all urban schools. This is a new program that is still under development, so the Foundation requests a brief letter of inquiry to the office to determine whether the Foundation will permit consideration of the request.

SBC Foundation has education as its main priority, because today's students need the skills and knowledge to work in a world where advanced technologies are the norm and because education helps sustain economic growth. They prefer to give in communities where a significant number of SBC Communications employees live and work: Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, California and Nevada. Local or statewide non-profits will have to partner with schools for these grants.

Soros or Open Society Institute is sponsored by George Soros, and has a Youth Initiatives Program that is youth-focused. They will consider grant requests up to $75K. Deadlines have not been determined, so check the website periodically.

UPS Foundation focuses its resources on their Literacy Initiative. They are supporting programs that combine literacy training with parenting classes, employment preparation and placement assistance. See their website for more information on grant applications.

Wal-Mart Foundation has several initiatives supporting education, including Teacher of the Year. 97% of their funding is directed by the local Wal-Marts, Sam's Clubs and distribution centers. They rarely support national causes. However, one that they do support is Jobs for American Graduates (JAG), which provides disadvantaged youth in their junior year with a Wal-Mart mentor. Apply to your local Wal-Mart outlet for local funding, and refer to the website for the national programs.

Robert W. Woodruff Foundation gives only to charities located in the state of Georgia. One of their program areas is elementary, secondary and higher education. However, recently the Foundation has sought ways in which it can help achieve systemic improvement in public education at the state and local levels. Contact them directly for guidelines.

Just remember not to become discouraged. For example, in 1999 the Ford Foundation received 38,200 grant requests…they funded 2,252! So apply to more than one funding organization, and follow each organization's instructions on what they want in a proposal very carefully, and you'll have a much better chance of obtaining funding for your project.

Government Grants

Special Education: State Program Improvement Grants Program. The purpose of this program, authorized under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Amendments of 1997, is to assist State educational agencies and their partners with reforming and improving their systems for providing educational, early intervention, and transitional services, including their systems for professional development, technical assistance, and dissemination of knowledge about best practices, to improve results for children with disabilities.

Eligible Applicants: A State educational agency of one of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or an outlying area (United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands).

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: February 13, 2001.

Estimated Average Size of Awards: $1,000,000.

Estimated Number of Awards: 13. We expect to make approximately three awards using FY 2000 funds & ten awards using FY 2001 funds. Awards using FY 2001 funds will be made after July 1, 2001.

Free information

Internet Learning Network provides an opportunity for middle school students to see how their math and science skills measure up against other students worldwide. The site offers tutorials, practice opportunities and reasons why math and science matter in the world today. (from the Department of Education)

MegaMath presents important mathematical ideas and allows students and teachers to experience math in ways that mathematicians and scientists experience it. Through fun activities and real world applications (tied to the NCTM standards), the project allows students to see what mathematicians actually do. (from the Department of Energy)

Sustainable Seas Expeditions focuses on exploration and discovery, scientific research, cutting edge underwater technologies, and public awareness of the marine environment. Visitors will find high-quality marine science teaching materials (linked to national standards), a multifaceted approach to teacher professional development, educational opportunities for students and more. (from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

Kids' Castle is a place to find Smithsonian magazine articles written on kid-related topics such as sports, history, the arts, travel, science and air and space. All the articles are paired with photos and graphics. There are games, contest, and message boards filled with questions to get kids from around the world talking to each other and thinking creatively. (from the Smithsonian Institute)

Kidzone is a place to learn about energy and related topics. It includes illustrations of energy technology in the past and the future by 100 young artists from across the nation. (from the Department of Energy)

For other free federal government sites, see http://www.ed.gov/free/

NASA's Office of Space Science has announced the release of The Space Science Education Resource Directory. This web-based directory provides easy access to electronic education resources, including lesson plans, educator guides, student activities, websites, and spectacular space science imagery. Science educators can locate science lessons and activities for their classrooms by searching by keyword or browsing by subject, grade level, and topics that align with National Science Education Standards.

Curator: Randolph Kim
Responsible NASA Official: Mark Leon
Last Updated: 07/02/2002